The steps we took to get here (It was worth it all along)
by Lovesick Fangirl
Summary: Waverly recalls all the times Champ Hardy hit on her and she hated it and the times Nicole Haught hit on her and she didn't and the one time Champ made the mistake of hitting on her in front of Nicole.


_**AN: So another Wayhaught fic with some Chump hate cause we all need to vent sometimes haha**_

 _ **To clarify in this fic italics signify a flash back and bold italics signify thoughts**_ _ **not that I write many of those**_ _ **:)**_

 _ **Just an FYI, I'm making Champ into a super mega monster asshole of a guy in this cause well thats the plot line I've decided I want to follow.**_

* * *

When Champ Hardy had first hit on Waverly Earp, it had been cute, embarrassing and lead to the beginnings of a juvenile crush on the boy, not that that had lasted very long, no, Waverly had managed to kick that crush almost immediately after realizing it. It had began in high school Waverly distinctly remembers because it had been a sleazy line and she couldn't understand now why she had fallen for it in any sense.

* * *

 _It had been the second week of High school and Waverly had been settling in nicely, despite the absence of both her big sisters being talk of the town still. She had made friends with Chrissy Nedley and by extension, Stephanie Jones and they made a good trio, even if Steph was mean to Waverly sometimes, although Chrissy always rose to her defense when she did._

 _Waverly was starting to feel pretty… normal. She was starting to feel less like the little sister of the crazy girl or like the poor little orphaned child and more like just Waverly, sort of popular girl around town. She had even started to hear rumors that Champ Hardy might be into her and, as Stephanie so often liked to remind her, that was a good thing for a girl like her._

 _She was on lunch break and leaning at Chrissys locker with her and Stephanie when Champ had came up to her and said it._

" _Hey Earp," she remembered cringing at being called that at the time, "Your lookin pretty good now but yknow what'd look better on you? Me." He'd been over confident, kind of rude and his voice had been an irritating kind of gravelly. But he had a confident smirk on his face and Waverly had blushed because she wasn't fond of the attention but smiled back at him shyly to avoid looking at the daggers she knew Stephanie would send her way if she was anything but flirty with the boy._

 _He'd winked and walked off, making more than a bit too much eye contact with each of the three girls chest as he went and once he was out of earshot Stephanie had squealed and ranted on about how hot he was and how Waverly had to say yes if he asked her out. She remembers feeling a bit queasy whenever she replayed it in her mind._

* * *

After that first time, he hadn't hit on her for a while again, him being busy with football and Waverly being busy with being a perfect student, cheerleader and building up her reputation around the school and town as a nice young lady. The second time he started to hit on her and keep going was close to the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break.

* * *

 _Waverly was coming out of class when she smelt him rather than saw him. Her nose had been attacked by a tidal wave of cheap cologne that she could cough and choke on if it weren't so rude to do so before she heard him speak._

" _I'm looking for treasure, mind if I search round your chest for some?" Champ had asked and when Waverly turned to finally face him, he had a leering grin on his face and she could tell he was_

 _struggling to actually keep his hands to himself. She rolled her eyes in disgust but threw on a polite smile as she shook her head and tutted at Champ._

" _Is that anyway to speak to a lady Champ?" She asked, making her voice overly sweet and fluttering her eyelashes in the way Steph had taught her to. She hated having to do this but she knew Champ Hardy was the best she could do in town, Stephanie had drilled that into her and despite Chrissys protests, she knew she was right because no one else was lining up to date the young Earp. If you could call what Champ was trying to do dating._

 _His grin transformed into a downright sleazy smirk as he slipped an arm round to her lower back, his hand resting dangerously close to her ass for her liking but she steeled herself and let him walk with her down to her locker before she dislodged herself from his grip._

" _C'mon_ _Waverly, you know you love it really, all you girls do," He said smugly, striding off again with a wink and an 'accidental' hand brush against her ass. She'd frown at all this later, him assuming what she'd like, lumping her in with other girls and then trying to casually grope her._

* * *

 _A couple of days later he'd tried again, this time out of school when Chrissy, Stephanie and Waverly were relaxing in the parking lot before going home._

" _Why hello there girls," he'd said in place of a proper greeting and Waverly and Chrissy had frowned at this while Steph had giggled like the true girl she was. Champ had_ _ogled_ _the other two girls before his eyes fell on Waverly again and his face picked up the usual sleazy smirk and over confident look._

" _Hey Earp, why don't you come sit on my lap and we'll talk about the first thing that comes up," he'd said with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows and a flash of something Waverly didn't want to deal with in his eyes. She heard Stephanie giggle and nudge her and Chrissy scoff and she honestly felt like puking at the grossness of the line but she smiled nonetheless and pretended to like it._

" _I'm sure that whatever comes up won't be something I'll want to talk about much," she said, it was meant to come across as an insult but if the way his smirk widened and his brows twitched were any indicator then she knew it came off as more flirty and she cursed internally._

" _Oh_ _c'mon_ _now Waverly, I may not be able to play the guitar but I bet I can still rock your world," He'd smirked again, sauntering off this time without a second look and Waverly felt herself release the breath she'd been holding in as her nose scrunched up in disgust and she dealt with more ramblings from Stephanie and pretended like she cared_ _._

* * *

 _Over the next few weeks the lines came in earnest every time he saw her._

" _Hey Earp, do you like bacon? Yeah, you wanna strip then?" She'd decided to become vegan not long after that one._

" _Don't worry Waverly, as long as I have a face you'll always have a place to sit," After that one she made sure to always be already sat down or walking somewhere when he managed to find her._

" _If we are what we eat then can I be you by the morning?" That one had made her so uncomfortable that she slept in Wynonna's bed that night, hoping the memory of the big sister would lend her some kind of protection from thoughts of Champ._

" _Are you a musician vampire? Cause your making my organ fill up with blood," That one made her stop reading the twilight series, not that she was enjoying those books anyway but still._

" _I lost my teddy bear, will you sleep with me instead?" She removed all the stuffed animals from her bed before sleeping that night and left them off for a few days._

" _Your like a candy bar but your missing something... You've got the sweet and I've got the nuts," She didn't eat chocolate for two weeks after that, it made her gag every time she tried._

" _It's handy that I have my library card cause I'm totally checking you out right now," She snorted at that one. She doubted Champ had ever been near a library, let alone gone in one and gotten a library card._

" _Your boobs remind me of Mount Rushmore, my face should be among them," She'd hated that one for how full of himself it made him sound._

" _Do you work at subway? Cause you just gave me a foot-long," She didn't go to subway for a while after that one._

 _The lines kept coming in earnest, getting worse and worse until one day he finally just asked,_

" _Hey Earp, when you gonna stop messing me around and let me take you out?"_

 _Stephanie had convinced her to go on a date with him begrudgingly and Chrissy had given her the most apologetic look she'd ever seen. They started dating not long after that._

* * *

Waverly had thought back then that when they started dating the pick up lines would stop but they had gotten worse. More sleazy and inappropriate, Champ didn't seem to care who was around when he said them. After they started having sex, they died down a bit and were replaced in some part with touches she didn't appreciate but put up with because he was her boyfriend and she had had to.

And then things got worse. He would cheat and use cheap half dead flowers and a disgusting pick up line to apologize and she would forgive him because who else would she date in this small shitty town if she didn't?

And then Wynonna rolled back into town and all hell broke loose. Literally. And into her life stepped the beautiful and amazing Nicole.

* * *

 _She had been wiping down the bar when the stupid tap had broken. Again. She got sprayed with beer and was a mess._

" _Perfect," she'd muttered under her breath, pissed off that her clothes were now ruined and she'd have to clean up this new mess._

" _I didn't know_ _Shorty's_ _had wet t-shirt competitions," A velvety female voice echoed, it had startled her and sort of annoyed her at the same time. She was sick of crappy pick up lines. But when she turned around and made eye contact with the woman the voice had come from she was suddenly way less mad and much more flustered in a way she'd never been with Champ and it kind of shook her to the core._

 _A beautiful_ _red headed_ _cop had sauntered into the bar and was leaning against the door_ _frame in an unfairly attractive way. She had her standard issue stetson in hand and the uniform seemed to hug her every curve and Waverly couldn't seem to breathe looking at this woman. She came up to the bar, leaning on it slightly and gently dropping her stetson down beside her, careful not to get it near the liquid mess Waverly had cause and especially careful not to damage it in any way._

" _You okay?" The woman had asked. Waverly was a bit dumbstruck and took a second to reply. This woman was so so beautiful._

" _Yeah," She had huffed with a laugh._

" _Yeah?"_

" _I uh, just a bit jumpy. Had a-" She paused, she should probably try and be normal about all the shit that Wynonna had brought with her to town, " A crazy night," She finished, grabbing some nearby towels and using them to dry off. It hadn't really worked at the time to dry her off at all._

" _Sorry I wasn't here to see it," The redhead had replied, an odd sense of honesty to her voice that had made Waverlys heart skip a beat, "I've been uh, meaning to introduce myself. I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught," She – Nicole – had introduce herself politely, maybe even a bit shyly and Waverly found herself comparing this to the way Champ had first spoken to her. No nice introduction, just a sleazy line he'd probably used a hundred times already._

" _Hi," Waverly had said, she remembered being so lost for words and completely enamored by Nicole that she was having trouble pulling a coherent thought forward and talking properly._

" _And you are Waverly Earp," Even the way Nicole had said her name had her heart practically leaping out of her chest to the other woman,"Quite a popular girl around here," a sweet smile had popped out then and Nicole reached a hand onto the bar and Waverly had wanted so badly to grab it._

" _Oh, yknow, its all in the smile and wave," She remembers doing a little demonstration of that and hoping that came across as sweet and flirty as she had wanted it to._

" _Yeah?" Nicole had smiled at that and they both seemed to get lost in the moment for a minute before Nicole piped up again, "Can I get a cappuccino to go?" Waverly had felt the disappointment well up because they weren't open yet and she couldn't serve Nicole legally._

" _Oh, I'm really sorry, um, we're not actually open yet…" She trailed off a little disappointedly._

" _Oh, right, again, my bad," Nicole had been so sweet, apologizing for something that wasn't even her fault, Waverly had swooned internally. "It's just, when I see something I like I don't want to wait,"_

 _She'd said it so honestly and giving Waverly such a fiery look that Waverly had literally felt it on her skin, rushing through her body and settling a heat between her thighs that shocked her a little bit. It must've showed on her face because Nicole quickly tried to cover up her directness, "And your door was open so…"_

" _Right," Waverly paused, not quite sure where to go next before she remembered her clothes were utterly drenched, "Ah god, I'm sopping wet," she spoke before her mind could catch up and she immediately blushed at the double entendre, knowing Nicole had picked up on it too if the way her eyes seemed to darken ever so slightly was any indicator, "Yknow I keep telling Shorty he needs to fix those darn taps!" Waverly had said in a jokingly scolding manner._

 _She decided that she would have to just take this shirt off, it was too wet to try and towel dry and she just wanted to be free of its sticky discomfort now, "Sorry, do you mind just uh…" She trailed off and let her hands indicate what she wanted which Nicole seemed to pick up on immediately._

" _Right," She had huffed out a laugh before spinning round on her bar stool, waiting patiently for Waverly to change shirts._

 _And that was when Waverly had gotten stuck. "Oh, oh crap! Uhm, uh-uh Officer? I'm uh stuck, could you uh please-"_

" _Oh, here, let me help you," Nicole had cut her off, immediately jumping into action and helping Waverly out, chivalry in its highest form clear in her actions and a softness to her voice that had Waverly reeling from how much she wanted to hear it more, "I got you,"_

 _Nicole had managed to free her of her shirt and Waverly had felt slightly self conscious at the prospect of beautiful Nicole seeing her shirtless even though she knew at this point that her body was more than desirable._

 _"Good job your not some guy right or this would be really... awkward..." Waverly had puffed out on a joke, voice trailing away as she realized how stupid that line was and how breathy her voice sounded. Thankfully, Nicole simply smiled and ducked her head slightly in response before pinning her with those eyes again, stare as intense as it had been before, if not more so now that more of Waverly was on show._

" _I uhm, I owe you one," Waverly had said, nerves getting the better of her finally._

" _Alright, well, how bout you buy me that cup of coffee? How bout tonight?" Nicole had asked with such a sweet grin and a kind sort of confidence that Waverly had wanted to say yes to her instantly. God had Champ ever been this sweet? Wait. Champ. Her boyfriend. She was getting too swept up in Nicole. Beautiful Nicole who she couldn't do anything with because unlike Champ, she didn't cheat._

" _Oh, I can't," She saw the disappointment on Nicoles face and rushed over her words to try and make it go away, "I mean I'd love to – Like-Like to but uh I have plans," Waverly had said, "_ _I'm_ _a planner, I like to know what I'm doing at least two or three days in advance," in retrospect that line had been incredibly nerdy and not at all smooth. She had panicked to correct that too, blurting out the first thing that came to her head._

" _I'm in a relationship. With a boy. Man," she grimaced as she noticed the upturn of Nicoles mouth in a small laugh and smile._

" _A boy-man. Yup, I've been there," She had said, with a teasing lilt to her voice that had made Waverly want to kiss her, "It's the worst," Waverly couldn't agree more with that._

" _Okay, well some other time." Nicole had grabbed her stetson and was moving towards the doors, slowly putting the hat on in the process as she looked back to add, "I mean it," dimpled grin coming out and Waverly could feel her heart skipping again at the promise of more time with Nicole and that_ _gorgeous grin. Nicole dropped her card on the bar before she was completely out of reach of it and then finally made her exit, allowing Waverly to finally calm her over excited heart and nerves. Waverly had picked up the card and read Nicoles name on it._

" _Officer Haught… Of course," she had said to herself, thinking that the name definitely matched the woman._

* * *

Every time she thought of that day and that line Nicole had opened with, she felt her heart stammer in her chest and a warmth spread through her she'd never really felt before.

That had been the first time she had met Nicole but she was so glad it wasn't the last. No, her and Nicole had kept bumping into her and every time it seemed Nicole got closer to her, making her heart skip more and her whole body light up for the woman till she finally broke and dumped Champ. She'd been riding on such a high that day.

* * *

" _Your uncles last wish was to go to the bar? What, did he want you to pour one out for his homies?" Champ had snorted at his own joke to which Waverly had rolled her eyes so hard it felt like they were going to pop out of her head. Ignoring him she focused on the not Curtis had left her._

" _Every day I sit, my beautiful mug in front…" Waverly trailed off, letting her mind run and try to figure out what Curtis had been trying to get at, "There is but one tune."_

 _Waverly had rounded the bar, pointing to Curtis' old chair at the bar climbing into it as she said, "Here. Look, he sat here, everyday…"_

" _Yeah but what about a 'beautiful mug'? Old dude drank whiskey. From a glass," Champ had said, clearly taking the words too literally as he always did. Waverly ignored him again._

" _Yeah… mug…" she had whispered, eyes scanning around the room from where Curtis always used to sit, taking things in as if looking through his eyes, "Mug…" Her gaze had finally fell on the mirror in front of her when it began to click, "My beautiful mug!" she remembers still the satisfaction she felt from managing to figure out Curtis' words._

 _Waverly had pondering aloud, "Tune… Tune… Did he have a favourite drinking song or something..?" She had been asking herself more than anything but Champ being Champ answered back. She slipped up from the chair as he spoke, drumming on the surface of the bar in quiet contemplation._

" _Shit, with his voice?" Champ lined up a shot on the pool table, continuing to talk aloud, "Like a bunch of drunk ferrets gang-banging," He attempted to imitate the sound of it but sounded more like an idiot as he took the shot at the table. Waverly sighed, he was so useless in_ _all_ _aspects._

" _You know, when I was little he used to sing to me at bedtime," Waverly chuckled at the warm memory before continuing, "He used to dance around like… like an idiot, Gus would be yelling at us to like, 'Shut the hell up!'," She recalled, mimicking her aunt in gentle kindness._

 _Waverly had moved back to Curtis' seat, singing to herself as she slipped back into the chair and recalled further, "All around the cobblers bench, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought it was all in fun…" Waverly had paused then, she had finally noticed the open piano behind her, calling to her with the memories of Curtis and the puzzle before her._

 _She rose from her chair, slowly advancing on the piano, chucking a glance to Champ who wasn't paying attention anyway, "All in fun…" She played the final notes of the song on the keys, singing along as she went, "Pop goes the weasel…"_

 _Upon hitting the final note the piano made a loud banging sound as a small hidden latch under the keys popped open. Suddenly all of Champs attention was on her now that there might be some kind of object involved._

" _Oh if you aren't the smartest thing on two amazing legs!" He had declared, sidling up to her._

" _Oh my…" Waverly had bent down and grabbed the box and remembered the utter feeling of super excitement at the idea that Curtis had left her some kind of special gift._

" _Oh my god, oh my god, I hope its a million dollars. We could open up a little bar down in, um, Buenos Aires huh? I've always wanted that for us!" Champ rambled on, butchering the pronunciation of the city as he did but Waverly ignored him looking inside the box._

 _She remembers the feeling of utter shock and chucking the box up on the piano for a moment in disgust, "Ew!" She grabbed it again pushing back the cloth, "Oh my god, Oh my god, its a real dead guy!" She remembers the skull vividly even now with it gone. She had studied it with morbid curiosity noticing a note in the mouth of the skull. She pulled it out and read it quietly to herself, "Waverly, darling, you are now the Keeper of the Bones. Guard this and tell no one but the Blacksmith. Your the only one I can trust, Love, Uncle Curtis," Waverly remembers the warm feeling of finally being trusted with something so entirely. She had smiled where Champ had looked disappointed._

" _I can't believe Wynonna got the Harley…" He had mumbled to himself as he sagged._

 _Waverly barley payed him any mind as she mused to herself, "He always said I was meant for bigger things," She had always felt so happy when he had said that, " Paid for every one of my crazy online courses, you know, dead languages, offbeat history… God, it used to drive Gus nuts!" Waverly had laughed out a breath at that. Settling the box down with the skull again she leaned in towards Champ, craning her neck back to rest against him._

" _But he believed in me…I can't think of a better gift… The Keeper of the Bones…"_

 _Champ had slid his arms around her at that, pressing into her suggestively and leaning on her shoulder with his head. She had barely repressed a shudder at the maneuver._

" _You know, you'll always be the keeper of my boner," He murmured, grinning at his own awful joke and nuzzling Waverlys neck, scratching her with his awful stubble. Waverly couldn't stop the cringe that passed through her that time._

" _Huh? C'mon, lets shut that brain off for a little while yeah…" Champ had said, pulling her into him insistently. She had always hated when he did that. Waverly could feel him against her, already half hard and it pissed her off. She pulled herself free from him, too annoyed to hide it this time._

" _No! I don't want my brain 'shut off'!" She had said, so much anger had been coursing through her right then. Champ sat down, clearly pissed and trying to make himself more comfortable in his jeans. Rage pulsing through her, she watched the movement before talking again._

" _Okay, I don't want to be a barmaid in Buenos Aires! And it turns out that a boner and a pick up aren't the whole enchilada!" She had been so mad but it had felt so so good to finally say that, the adrenaline coursing through her veins only fueling the fire within her, "No," She had mumbled, brow furrowed in anger, "We're done...Yeah. We're done, Champ. And I've got work to do," Waverly announced, leaving a shocked Champ behind as she lifted the box and left him there with his own pathetic boner. As she walked away, Waverly swore she hadn't felt this weightless and free since before she had started dating Champ in Highschool._

* * *

The adrenaline had carried her through the week, leading her to Nicole. Ever present Nicole who was nothing if not chivalrous to her, who when she spoke, she always used such wonderful consideration and tried to be careful of things she knew Waverly didn't like. Nicole, who when she said shitty pick up lines or stared at her a little too long only lit her body up like an inferno. But maybe that was because she knew that when Nicole did those things, it wasn't coming from the want of a quick fuck, it was coming from a place of wanting to know more about Waverly in body, mind and soul.

* * *

 _Waverly had come marching into the station that day feeling the exact same adrenaline that had her leaving Champ all on his own for the first time in years. She had marched up to the front desk that Nicole was perched behind, writing whatever report she was working on, stetson to one side and hair up in the usual French braid. She looked as unsuspectingly beautiful as she always did._

" _Hey," She puffed, out of breath._

 _Nicoles head had jerked up at that. She hadn't been expecting anyone to come in, let alone Waverly, the girl who had been running through her mind in circles._

" _Nedley out for dinner?" Waverly had asked, already knowing the answer._

" _Oh you mean happy hour at Shorty's?"_

" _Yeah,"  
_

" _Same hour every week, kinda like clockwork," Nicole had replied, a roll of her eyes just barely there, the annoyance and disapproval clear in her voice. Waverly had already started marching through the door to Nedleys office before she could finish her sentence._

" _Hey..!" Nicole span in her seat at the quick movement of the smaller girl, "Wave..!" She had tried before finally giving up and following her into the office._

 _Waverly had shucked her puffy coat off once she got in there, tossing it over the sofa's arm before making her way to each set of blinds, closing them hurriedly. At this moment, she was an unstoppable woman on a mission. She remembers cursing to herself the number of windows in Nedleys office._

" _Hey!" Nicole had said again, more than a little bit confused by whatever the hell Waverly was up to._

" _Excuse me," Waverly had said, gently pushing Nicole aside so she could shut the door of the office, twisting the lock discreetly as she did._

" _What is your problem!" Nicole had been annoyed up until now and while she would usually do everything she could to avoid taking it out on Waverly, she simply didn't have the patience right now for whatever she was up to, "I don't understand why your -"_

 _Before Nicole could finish whatever annoyed remark she was going to say, Waverly cut her off, spinning around and diving for the taller girl, standing up onto her tip toes and reached up, one hand cupping Nicoles cheek and other wrapping around her neck to pull her in and crash their lips together hurriedly._

 _Waverly walked them backwards as they kissed, aiming for Nedleys sofa, a soft place to land rather than a desk or a wall. Nicoles hand reached up as they moved, gripping at the wrist of the hand on her face, needing something to keep her grounded._

 _Nicole flopped back onto the sofa, hands both moving down to Waverlys waist to keep her supported as she hovered over Nicole, their lips finally separating, Waverly eagerly tried to chase them back down, desperate to kiss Nicole again but Nicole pulled back, gently pushing Waverly off her at the same time. They needed some distance to talk or Nicole knew they'd just end up kissing again._

" _What happened to friends?" Nicole asked breathily, trying to make sense of everything that was going on but signs of a smile beginning to shine through even despite her confusion._

 _Waverly, who had fallen on top of Nicole, pushed back and sat in the space next to Nicoles legs, allowing Nicole to pull herself up into a semi sitting position._

" _You know what I've always wanted?" Waverly had asked in a rush._

" _What?" Nicole had asked, a confused lilt to her voice and a look on her face that Waverly had to admit was utterly adorable._

" _To parachute out of a plane at 15,000 feet. Yeah, to swim, far,_ _far_ _out into the ocean so that I can't see the bottom anymore." Waverly nodded as she spoke, words coming out fast as she rode on her courage, "To eat Geoduck!"_

 _A look of confusion and vague disgust passed Nicoles face as she asked, features all scrunched up, "Isn't that the one that kinda looks like a p-"_

" _Yeah it is," Waverly cut her off before she could finish, "Point is, I've always wanted to do things that scared me, but, well, its not so easy to be brazen," Waverly paused for a second, taking in a deep breath as she took back her hand that had unknowingly come to rest on Nicoles thigh, hesitancy starting to come through as her confidence started to slip. She pushed on again before she lost it all and couldn't get out what she needed to say, "when the thing that you want, t-that scares you to death," Waverlys hands gesticulated wildly between the two of them as she struggled to convey her point, "is sitting, right in front of you," she finished a little bit out of breath._

 _Realization showed on Nicoles face as she softened and smiled fully at Waverly._

" _I scare you?" Nicole asked quietly._

" _Yes, yes you do," Waverly finally admitted, smiling as she saw Nicole give the softest, comforting smile back, "Because, I don't wanna be friends," She saw the hopeful turn to Nicoles face as she spoke, "When I think of what I wanna do most in this world," Waverly delivered on a small smile, "Its you," she finished, Nicoles smile becoming a full grown one._

" _Oh god, that sounded so much more romantic in my head," Waverly had groaned, head turning away for a second as she tried to find the right words, "Just ah, jump in any time Nicole because I really,_ _really_ _don't know how to do this," Waverly finished._

 _Nicoles look changed as she watched Waverly. She could feel the heat of her gaze and Waverlys skin felt like it was on fire as she waited a second for Nicole to say something, anything in response._

" _Oh I'm sure you do," She said, voice lower than before but just as soft as she still regarded Waverly with that heat in her eyes. Waverly sucked in a few heavy breaths at that, a little bit winded from just the way Nicole was making her feel right now._

" _Maybe I should just stop talking," Waverly spoke on a puff._

" _See, your getting better at this already," Nicole joked as she wrapped Waverlys long scarf around her hands, drawing her in closer as she leaned up, eyes dropping down to Waverlys lips. Waverlys gaze dropped down to Nicoles lips too as she let herself be dragged in before she pulled back a little, taking the joke as a challenge she spoke again._

" _Maybe you should stop talking too," She said, scanning Nicoles whole face for any signs of hesitancy which she thankfully couldn't find._

" _Well, maybe you should make me," Nicole challenged back, smile widening so much so that her dimples showed again. Waverlys eyes flickered back and forth between Nicoles own eyes and mouth a few times before she dived in, claiming Nicoles lips again. They kissed slower this time and Waverly pushed Nicole back for a second before she felt Nicole surge forward, lifting them and taking them backwards so that Waverly was now tucked under Nicole gently, feeling the full weight of her across her whole body and her skin light up like a camp fire at the contact, even if it was through clothes. They separated for a moment as Nicole readjusted on top of her, one knee coming to sit somewhere between Waverlys thighs and the other coming to brace her on the sofa next to them._

 _Nicole grinned down at Waverly for a moment before diving back in with just as much fervour as before, their lips sliding together passionately. As she did, Waverly let her hands slip up to the back of Nicoles neck as Nicole let one hand wander down and grasp at Waverlys thigh, dragging the leg up which Waverly then wrapped around her, feeling Nicoles hand slide down her thigh, gripping at her waist for a moment before travelling up to Waverlys face. They separated for a second, gasping for breath and Waverly took the opportunity to scan her face as she felt Nicole gently drag her thumb over her lips, slipping down a little further to her chin gently pushing a finger under her chin to lift her head up a bit and bring their lips together, more softly this time. Waverly let her eyes slide shut slowly at this kiss, reveling in the softness of it._

 _It only lasted a second though before Nicole kissed her again, more force and passion leading them once more. They huffed out a laugh between kisses and if Waverly hadn't been convinced till now, then the look of utter joy that she caught a glimpse of between every kiss she and Nicole shared more than told her what she needed to know: that Nicole had ached for this just as much as she had even though Nicole had waited respectfully for her._

 _Waverly felt more than heard the groan that slipped out of her as she and Nicole continued to kiss and Nicoles hands roamed all over her body, sparking every nerve inside of her like an electric shock travelling through her body. The sound only seemed to spur Nicoles movements on, encouraging her hands to keep exploring, stopping to squeeze at her thighs, her ass, her hips. Waverlys own hands slid down too, scratching down Nicoles back before coming to her belt to which she hastily pulled Nicoles shirt and her work tank up, pushing her hands up to graze her nails against the newly reachable skin. She felt Nicole arch into the touch and felt the vibration of her chest as she grumbled appreciatively._

 _God this woman would be the death of her._

* * *

After that day, her and Nicole had been practically inseparable, spending all their free time together as they learnt more about each other, more than they had ever breached to know as friends. Waverly had to admit that it was like she was floating on a cloud. Like she was always riding on the adrenaline she had felt in that moment. She had thought that it might end at some point, especially in the beginning, when Nicole had used a pick up line on her for the first time since they actually started dating.

* * *

 _Waverly and Nicole had been cooking when she said it. Nicole was sat at the worn wood table, watching Waverly move throughout the kitchen of the old Earp homestead, preparing whatever wonderful food creation she was up to this time. Nicole couldn't keep her eyes off her, nor could she keep the dopey grin off her face. It was all just a bit too perfect, almost too real to be true. But it was true and so Nicole decided to revel in the moment, making it as cheesy and adorable as she could, not that it needed any help for that really._

" _Hey, Waves?"_

" _Yeah Nicole?" Waverly asked over her shoulder, barely turning her head while she stirred whatever was in the pot on the stove top next to her._

" _Do you have a band-aid?" Nicole felt her grin stretch wide but she suppressed it as much as she could before Waverly whirled round, confusion and a look of mild concern on her face._

" _What, why? Are you hurt or something oh my god..!" Waverly turned down the stove quickly before dashing over to Nicole, dropping on her knee's next to her and scanning her all over for injuries._

" _Yeah, I scraped my knee falling for you," Nicole finished, grin as wide as a Cheshire cat. Waverly snapped her head up, eyes meeting Nicole with a vaguely blank look. Internally Nicole worried for a moment before she saw a small smile develop on Waverlys face._

 _Waverly chewed her lip for a second before she reached up and playfully slapped Nicoles shoulder, diving in and hugging her right after._

" _You had me really worried there for a second you dork!" Waverly puffed out on a laugh, finally seeming to catch her breath and catch up to Nicole. She squeezed her tighter before pulling back and looking at Nicoles pouting face, smile barely contained as she pretended to be sorry. Waverly let out a few giggles before Nicole broke too and they both shared laughter at the absurdity of it._

 _Waverly had to admit, she was surprised she was sat here laughing with Nicole and not cringing or trying to repress it already. She was actually oddly happy, a weird fluttery warmth filling up her chest and her stomach. She kind of loved the feeling. It was strange. She hated pick up lines like that one, they made her skin crawl and her whole body feel like it was covered in bugs. They normally made her queasy and uncomfortable. But this time with Nicole it had just made her feel… happy._

 _They finally stopped laughing, taking in a few breaths each to calm down before Waverly even realized tears had been pricking at her eyes. She wiped them away quickly but felt a few more spring forth. Nicole immediately noticed and wrapped Waverly up in her arms, picture of concern written all over her face and shown in her body movements._

" _What's wrong Wave?" Nicole had whispered quietly into the crown of her head, hand soothing gently up and down her back as the other cradled her neck and kept her safely in place. Waverly had laughed, gently shaking her head into Nicole before withdrawing a bit to talk. She kept her head down, barely making eye contact with Nicole._

" _It's stupid really," Waverly said through a mirthless laugh, wiping at her face frustratedly._

" _Hey, hey," Nicole said, hand coming under Waverlys chin to push her head up, forcing their eyes to meet, "If its making you cry then its not stupid. In fact, its important for me to know, if you'll let me, so I can help you if you want me to." Nicole smiled softly, eyes sincere and caring._

 _Waverly looked at her, unable to believe that Nicole was even real, that someone could be this nice and caring. She felt tears spring to her eyes anew as she leant forward and clung to Nicole. She felt so safe wrapped up in Nicoles arms that she couldn't help the tears that kept coming._

" _Its just uh… I've never really liked pick up lines yknow? They've always made me feel really uncomfortable I guess… Especially with Champ, he used them all the time before we started dating as a means of flirting and all the time when we were dating as a means of getting into my pants… And that still made me feel like my skin was crawling every time…" Waverly paused, taking in a shuddering breath and allowing more tears to pour out as she snuggled into Nicoles neck, "it would make me feel sick, especially once her started using them on other girls around me whenever I didn't… 'put out'…"_

" _Jesus Wave," Nicole breathed out, squeezing the younger girl impossibly closer to her, "I get why that would make you cry then,"_

 _Waverly shook her head vehemently at this._

" _No, thats not why I'm crying… I mean, it is but its more than that." Waverly said, nose nuzzling up and down Nicoles neck, "No, I'm crying because of that way it made me feel when you said it,"_

" _Oh god, wow I didn't even realize, I bet I upset you quite a bit with that-"_

" _No, you didn't, thats exactly why I'm crying Nicole," Waverly said, pulling back fully to peer shyly into Nicoles eyes, sniffling quietly, "I'm crying because I felt happy when you said that. I felt all warm and fuzzy and I didn't wanna puke and god Nicole, thats the first time I've ever felt when someone said such a cheesy pick up line to me. I hate them but when you said that just then, I sort of loved hearing it and the feeling it gave me," Waverly admitted finally, small blush on her tear stained cheeks._

 _Nicole smiled softly at her, hand coming up to gently wipe away the dried tracks on Waverlys cheeks. She leant forward, placing a gentle peck to Waverlys forehead before leaning them together._

" _Well you know what then Waves?" Nicole whispered, eyes trained on Waverlys, "I'm gonna use terrible pick up lines on you all the time if they make you feel happy then yeah? And I'm gonna do my best to replace all those memories of Champ using them with good ones if thats what you want baby," Waverly nodded against her, "Okay then, I'll do that for you baby," Nicole finished, soft smile on her lips before she felt a pair of lips on her own._

 _Nicole was real and Waverly was glad for that. So glad._

* * *

Nicole had followed through on her promise she had made that day. She used cheesy lines on Waverly all the time when they were alone together and each time Waverly felt her chest warm a little more and a smile come to her face. By the time they were a few weeks into dating, Waverly thinks its this, along with everything about Nicole that makes her so…Nicole that makes her trust her enough to open up to her about some of the more shitty stuff in her past.

* * *

 _She remembers that her and Nicole were having a quiet Sunday, lounging around the house together. Waverly didn't have work at the bar and Nicole had managed to swap out her usual Sunday shift this week for an extra two hours on each of her shifts throughout the week._

 _It was early morning and Waverly was tucked into Nicoles lap on the lounger in the corner of the living room. The TV had been left on quietly in the background, the volume low but it was forgotten as Waverly had a book open in hand and Nicole was reading over her shoulder occasionally but was mostly focused on Waverly._

 _Waverly had reread the same sentence over and over about 30 times now. Her mind was less focused on the historical text in front of her and was thinking more about Nicole. Ever present Nicole who was holding her and just enjoying her presence. Nicole, who had been chivalrous in the best way, kind and patient and amazing. Nicole who Waverly wanted to be with constantly, to tell everything to. Nicole who she wanted to go to bed and wake up with every morning._

 _Nicole who Waverly was thinking she might be falling in love with. Okay, Nicole who she was_ _definitely_ _falling in love with._

 _She wanted to share everything with Nicole._

 _And hence why Waverly was distracted from her reading. She closed the book in her hand and placed it down on the small table next to the lounger, careful not to knock the little lamp that sat atop it before turning her attention back to her girlfriend._

 _Nicole had followed the movement with her eyes, keeping her hands and arms wrapped safely around Waverly, supporting her from falling while she moved but also just holding her in the protective manner Nicole always had when it came to Waverly._

" _Nicole, can I… tell you something?" Waverly remembers how nervous she had felt saying those words._

" _Course, you can tell me anything you want Waves," Nicole whispered with a soft squeeze of her well toned arms. Waverly chewed her lip for a moment, nerves getting the better of her as she looked doubtful for a second before she seemed to gain a little confidence back._

" _I wanted to tell you about Champ," Waverly said. She saw anger and barely contained rage flash behind dark eyes before Nicoles eyes returned to normal, her face staying as neutral as possible for the sake of Waverly, "I wanted to tell you about yknow some of the worse stuff… cause I think you get the whole gist of what you could loosely call the 'good times' but I… I trust you and I wanted to tell you more."_

 _Nicole pulled Waverly in even closer, if that was at all possible, before speaking, "You know Waves, you don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable or don't want to yknow. Your under no obligation to tell me anything just because I'm your girlfriend."_

" _I know, I want to though, I want you to know more about me… even the unsavory stuff I guess,"_

" _Well okay then, as long as your sure baby,"_

 _Waverly smiled to herself, ever appreciative of everything that was Nicole. She placed her hands atop Nicoles, squeezing softly before she decided to continue._

" _When I was just starting high school was the first time Champ ever spoke to me. He was such an ass and he used a shitty pick up line on me straight away. At the time I had thought I might've had a crush on him but I quickly realized I didn't, thankfully. But still, he spoke to me and continued to chase me through out high school, always using some kind of shitty line on me. They all made me feel terrible in some different way and always led to me doing everything I could to avoid thinking or hearing about them. Until I finally agreed to go out with him. I had thought, when we started going out, he might stop and for a while, he did. For a few months, the lines were practically non-existent and I was happy for that although I was admittedly not all that pleased about actually dating him. I hid that well enough though." Waverly paused, a pensive look on her face for a moment before she continued,_

" _After a little while, I finally slept with him. It wasn't great. In fact, looking back, it was pretty terrible… especially compared to the stuff we get up to now, even if we haven't yet done yknow.. everything," Waverly said, a soft pink blush adorning her cheeks but a far away, dreamy look in her eyes. Nicole smirked proudly for a moment, rubbing Waverlys stomach appreciatively but still not talking, letting Waverly finish whatever she wanted to say, "I put out for a little while then because it seemed like he was happier when I did. But after a little while I stopped. I just didn't enjoy it enough to keep going, even if it made Champ happy._

 _But you know what he's like, you've met him. He can be pretty childish when he doesn't get his way. When I stopped putting out, Champ would get pretty… agitated. We would fight about it and he would go out and drink and then come back and apologize. But after a while, the drinking stopped being enough to satiate him when we fought…" Waverly hadn't even noticed she was crying till she felt Nicoles hand come up to wipe away tears. She sniffled, taking a few deep breaths before talking again._

" _At first he would come back drunk and just get handsy until I shoved him off and then he'd sleep through the alcohol and the hangover and apologize again in the morning. But eventually it got worse. Eventually he'd come back smashed off his face and he'd… well, he'd f-force himself on me…" Waverly broke for a second, allowing a sob to escape, letting Nicole comfort her and whisper assurances in her ear. She stayed this way for a minute before she assured Nicole she could go on again, "He would apologize the morning after, promising that it would never happen again but it always did… Champ started to cheat soon after that, when I stopped putting out all together and the only time he could get any off me was when he…_

 _I didn't know for the longest time that he was cheating but when I did find out, I used to get mad… But when it became a frequent thing I stopped getting so mad until I finally stopped getting mad all together. At some point, I think I became relieved whenever I would catch him with a girl because it meant he wouldn't do anything with me… But even still, it managed to get worse… When he wasn't drinking and he couldn't find some girl with low standards to mess around with in place of me he would use a shitty pick up line to force himself on me and take what he wanted, claiming that he could because he was my boyfriend…" Waverly felt anger course through her and an overwhelming wave of sadness too._

 _She knew Nicole was a raging inferno of seething rage and hatred behind her. She could feel it without even having to look._

" _Thats why I hate those pick up lines so much… Or hated I suppose," Waverly said with a small chuckle, a small amount of happiness slipping through, despite all the shitty memories of Champ being laid bare, "He was horrible. A monster really… any time he didn't do that to me he was yelling at me… he even started hitting me after a little while… that was really close to the end of our relationship… the amount of times I struggled to hide bruises from Gus had gotten a little bit ridiculous," Waverly let out a slow breath through her nose, the tears still streaming ever persistently._

" _I'm gonna arrest that mother fucker the first god damned chance I get," Nicole growled out, voice suspiciously wet. Waverly turned her head, finally noticing the tears spilling from Nicoles own eyes. Waverly would have been shocked if she didn't know how strongly Nicole felt for her. She finally spun around fully in Nicoles arms, wrapping up her girlfriend and squeezing her as tightly as she could._

 _They stayed like this for a little while, crying together until Waverlys stomach growled loudly. They both laughed at that before they had looked up at the time, seeing that it was close to lunch._

 _"Wanna get something to eat?" Nicole had asked through a smile._

 _God was Waverly lucky to have this woman who cared enough to get so mad on her behalf._

* * *

At around the 1 month marker was when Nicole and Waverly had decided to have their first time together. It had taken them a little while because of all of Waverlys emotional baggage and Nicoles chivalry towards her.

* * *

" _Nicole…" Waverly breathed out, writhing underneath the woman weighing on top of her. Nicole had been trailing kisses and leaving marks up and down Waverlys neck on and off for the last half an hour and Waverly was starting to get uncontrollably pent up from it. She could hardly keep herself still from Nicoles gloriously luxurious ministrations. Nicole smiled into Waverlys skin before pulling away and looking up._

 _Waverly grasped at Nicoles back, fingers pressing deep into the soft tissue there before releasing and dropping to rake up her back. If it weren't for the material of her shirt Nicole was sure that there would be deep red scratches up her back now, not that she would have minded as much. She moved up the skin of Waverlys neck to right behind her ear, nipping the skin there and lavishing it with her tongue, grinning at the guttural moan that ripped through Waverly as she did so._

 _She dragged her hands up from their spot they had been resting at on Waverlys waist and settled them just below her breasts, thumbs drawing slow circles on her ribs while she moved forward slightly to nip at Waverlys earlobe in passing, trailing her lips down a chiseled jaw bone, stopping briefly at Waverlys lips to place a few passionate kisses there before she moved again, trailing down the other side of her jaw and to the opposing expanse of stretched neck._

" _Yeah baby?" She asked on a smirk that was pressed into the taught muscle of Waverlys neck. She could practically feel the heat that had been building between them radiating into her._

" _Nicole please… can you please please do something to me,_ _anything_ _this time please?" She asked on a whimper as she felt Nicoles fingers come up finally and skim around the swells of her breasts, frustratingly never fully touching them._

 _Nicole looked up finally, hands stilled on the sides of Waverlys chest as she took in the younger girls face. Nicole could see the want written across her face but she was still unsure herself._

" _Anything..?" Nicole asked,hesitation clear in her voice. She was so sure of how much she wanted Waverly but she wanted Waverly to be as sure herself, wanted her to be ready for the experience, especially after everything she had told her about the shit head as Nicole referred to him now._

" _Yeah," Waverly breathed, hearing the hesitancy in Nicoles voice, "I'm ready Nicole,"_

 _Nicole studied her for a moment longer before sucking in a deep breath and nodding. She Lowered herself back down, this time connecting her lips to Waverlys as she let her hands slide down, fingers toying with the trim of Waverlys shirt before she pulled back, question evident in her face to which she saw Waverly nod quickly. Nicole chuckled before slipping the shirt gently up, lifting Waverly up softly with one had to allow it to slide off easier._

 _She had seen Waverly without a shirt before but it still took her breath away every time. Nicole sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the heat build between her legs and coil twist in the low of her belly. Before she lowered down she had to say something to Waverly, clarify something, so she did her best to clear her mind._

" _Wave, before we go any further I want to make sure you know your okay to ask me to stop whenever you want. I want you to tell me if you don't like somethin' I'm doing okay? Cause I want this to be all about you, okay baby?" Nicole asked, eyes sincere and voice filled with an earnest kind of adoration that made Waverlys breath hitch and her heart stutter in her chest. She knew they didn't have to say anything about it, knew that Nicole was doing this because of her experiences with Champ and the fact that she was just an amazing person in that way. She felt the warmth stir in her chest, Nicole was so considerate in ways Champ never was, making this all about her and her pleasure._

 _Waverly nodded again, puffing out a gentle 'yes' before pulling Nicole down and crashing their lips together. She hastily deepened the kiss, tongue clashing with Nicoles before she felt Nicole pull away to which she whined in disappointment. The whine was quickly turned into a moan of pleasure as she felt Nicoles tongue lick a trail the center line of her stomach, Nicole following her own imaginary path between the just barely visible outline of abs on Waverlys well toned stomach. She gently teethed at the skin until her nose nudged against the soft material of a little blue lacy bra that Waverly was wearing. She skipped over it, letting her tongue continue its trail between the valley of two pert breasts. She placed hot, open mouthed kisses on the sides of her breasts as she reached under Waverly, unhooking the bra and gently dragging it down her arms before discarding it on the floor somewhere to her left._

 _With the barrier now gone she returned her attention to the newly exposed skin in front of her, mouth moving across to envelop a rosy nipple in a warm heat that had Waverly gasping and gripping at the sheets. Her hand came up to pinch and twist the other one as her tongue circled and teased the bud in her mouth, teeth occasionally scraping over it softly before she switched over, lavishing it with the same attention that had Waverly gasping and moaning and twisting the sheets in her fists._

 _Waverly pawed and pulled at Nicoles shirt, desperate for skin on skin contact and Nicole obliged, leaning up and yanking her shirt over her head and quickly unhooking and throwing away her bra, throwing them both unceremonious to the floor before lowering herself back down slowly, relishing in the feeling of Waverlys breasts pressing into hers. Waverly groaned at the sensation of Nicole against her, nails dragging across the skin of her back finally, leaving gentle red scratches on the top of the skin._

" _You can scratch harder if you need to baby, I don't mind," Nicole muttered to her between kisses up and down the column of her neck. She immediately felt Waverly nails dig into her skin, biting in painfully pleasurable way, dragging up and down leaving deep red marks that Nicole knew would be raised later on. She hissed at the feeling before releasing a deep groan that reverberated all the way through Waverlys body and settled in as heat between her thighs. Nicole squeezed her hips gently before slipping her fingers under the edge of the waistband. She teased Waverly, pulling at her pants gently but moving her fingers away every time Waverly raised her hips to allow Nicole to pull them down._

 _She grunted in disapproval before finally reaching down and shoving her pants off herself, kicking them to the floor before grabbing at Nicoles pants and pushing them down too. Once both of their legs were free Nicole slipped a thigh between Waverlys, feeling the wetness that had soaked her panties on the soft flesh of her leg. She leaned forwards, thigh pressing into her core and providing her with delicious pressure. It wasn't enough for Waverly though and so she ground herself into the thigh, the friction coiling the spring in her stomach ever tighter._

 _Through the haze of her pleasure Waverly managed to drag Nicole down into her, slipping her own thigh between Nicoles and pressing against her, feeling the wetness there from Nicoles own arousal which only served to arouse her more. Nicole moaned loudly at the contact and the breathy moans that Waverly released with each synchronized movement they made together._

" _Nicole…" Waverly gasped out, feeling so close and ready to the edge that she could burst any minute. Before she could Nicole pulled away though and Waverly was ready to scream before she felt her hands come down and hook under the edges of her panties, dragging them down much more slowly in a sensual manner. Once they were all the way down and discarded off the side of the bed she reached down to discard her own only to have Waverlys hands come up and gently take the place of her own, sliding down her loose boy style briefs. They too were discarded and Nicole hovered over Waverly for a moment, looking her over fully and allowing Waverly a chance to do the same to her._

 _Every inch of the girl was perfect to Nicole, expanses of smooth skin ready to be explored like a beautiful blank canvas. She could tell Waverly felt the same if the way her eyes roved across her body was any indication._

 _She finally lowered herself, their full bodies making contact and they both sighed in pure pleasure before connecting again at the lips._

 _The next few hours they spent exploring each other fully and bring each other to the peak of pleasure over and over again, falling off the cliffs edge together more times than they could count._

* * *

After they had finally reached that new milestone they had revelled in the new experience for a little while, making the most of each other and the never ending seeming happiness. Waverly hadn't felt so happy in so long that she was overwhelmed. She couldn't stop the joy she felt brimming over at all times and it was probably part of what pushed her to telling Nicole she loved her for the first time.

* * *

 _They collapsed together into a sweaty heap, panting for breath but both satiated beyond belief. A lazy half smile stretched across Nicoles face and a hand came up to push sweaty red locks out of her face._

" _Really_ _like the new haircut then..?" Nicole asked, lazy smile turning cocky as she stretched her arms out and languidly drew Waverly in to a loose embrace. The chuckle she got in response drew a small laugh from Nicoles throat too._

" _Short hair suits you babe," Waverly replied, hand reaching up to card through the dampened short locks. Waverly had already loved Nicoles hair, she especially loved its fiery red colour, but now that it was cut short and left to hang in loose, free waves, god, she could run her hands through it all day. The new look was definitely driving her more than a little bit insane with want, especially when pared with her standard work uniform, the tight khaki pants that were already enough to make her crazy and perfectly sized navy shirt that fit Nicole perfectly all coming together to make Waverly want to tear the uniform off of her girlfriend. And so thats exactly what she did when Nicole came in from work._

" _Thanks," Nicole replied, small blush just barely evident on her cheeks, not that it could be differentiated from the flush all over her face and chest from their previous activities, "Wasn't sure what you'd think of it at first, I was almost a bit nervous," Nicole admitted with a dry chuckle. Waverly scratched her nails on Nicoles scalp, fingers still wound up in her hair and pulled a soft groan from the taller girls throat._

" _I think its very sexy," Waverly whispered out before leaning up and pressing a few open mouthed kisses to Nicoles neck. She pulled back, snuggling into Nicole. With their legs tangled together and their torso's pressed tightly against on another, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Nicole was drifting off slowly, eyelids starting to droop heavily when she felt Waverly nudge her gently on her collar bone with her nose, one of their many unspoken signals that one of them wanted the others attention._

 _Forcing herself to stay awake Nicole pulled herself back a bit, still in contact with Waverly all over but enough to lose a little of her warmth that was lulling her to sleep._

" _What's up Wave?" Nicole murmured._

 _Waverly squirmed against Nicole for a minute, needing a second to find the right words before she spoke._

" _We've been together for about a month and a bit now," She said, scratching gently at Nicoles scalp still. Nicole hummed in way of reply, "And you could say that we know a lot about each other, more than anyone else," Nicole hummed again, patiently waiting to see what point Waverly would make, "And we've moved pretty steady so far together right?"_

" _We have yeah," Nicole finally piped up. Waverly nodded thoughtfully against Nicole, going quiet once again. She chewed a lip between her teeth before she piped up again._

" _So do you think it'd be okay if I… If I said something to you right now?" Waverly asked timidly. Nicoles heartbeat quickened at the prospect of what Waverly might've been talking about, she couldn't help the hopeful feeling that bloomed within her. Waverly felt her heartbeat and looked up at Nicole through her lashes._

" _Sure Waves," She replied, a slightly shaky lilt to her voice. Waverlys eyes sparkled and a small smile appeared on her face._

" _Nicole I… I love you," Waverly said, heart in her throat as she awaited Nicoles reply. If it had been any other time, she reckons nerves would have clogged up her voice and prevented her from saying the words, but here, with Nicole laid as bare as she was and after sharing such an intimate release together, she couldn't stop her feelings from shining through and spilling out in her words._

" _I love you too Waverly, god, I love you so much," Nicole breathed out, excitement filling her up at the thought that her and Waverly had finally taken the next step together, at Waverlys pace. Nicole had been waiting, ready to tell Waverly for so long but not wanting to go faster than the younger girl was comfortable with. Finally being able to say that she loved Waverly was exhilarating._

" _Yeah..?" Waverly asked, still shy and timid but so so hopeful. She needed the reassurance though, desperately._

" _Yeah," Nicole whispered, wide smile on her face conveying the truth to Waverly._

 _Both women smiled before joining together at the lips, happiness and excitement coursing through them as they let their emotions carry them into the night together._

* * *

They were at the 2 month mark now and they were incredibly happy. Most of the time that is. They had their ups and downs like every couple did, sure, but most of what got to them still was Champ. Champ who, even though he was no longer with Waverly and who should have been terrified of Nicole and the threatening aura she emitted around him, still liked to annoy the couple by sprouting up whenever he wasn't wanted and interrupting moments between the two in public with snide comments and rude stares and glares. When it was just Waverly he bumped into, he liked to pretend like he wasn't an asshole, and would act all charming around the girl, even still hitting on her. Today was one of those such days. In fact, this exact moment was one of those moments.

Waverly was stood behind the polished counter top of Shorty's bar and was cleaning a glass, reminiscing of all her favourite moments she and Nicole had shared thus far. She was tuning out Champs monotonous voice as she laid a cheap line on her, ones she was used to hearing from Nicole and that, while she no longer hated them, she did not appreciate coming from him.

He was leaning on the bar near her, cheap cologne clogging up her nostrils so much so that she had turned away from Champ in the hopes of dissuading him. He didn't seem to notice though, that or he chose not too as he smiled his 'charming' smile at her and continued to talk.

"Hey Wave," Internally she cringed at him even using her nickname, "I know your pretty busy today," He smirked, glancing around the mostly empty bar," But can you add me to your to do list?"

Waverly rolled her eyes, putting the glass down as she moved onto the next one. As she did so, Nicole came through the doors at that exact moment. Suddenly a wide smile spread across Waverlys face as she put the glass down and moved to the end of the bar closer to Nicole. Her girlfriend swaggered up, dressed in her usual Purgatory Police uniform. Waverly gave her an appreciative look over before she leaned on the bar and met Nicole half way over the top of it in a greeting kiss.

Both girls were wearing huge smiles as they pulled apart and Nicole situated herself on a stool directly in front of Waverly.

"Hey babe," Nicole said, hands coming up to rest on the bar top so that Waverly could take them if she chose to. Waverly did, firmly clasping both of Nicoles hands in her own and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of Nicoles sweet scent filling up her nostrils in place of Champs cologne.

"Hey yourself," Nicoles smile stretched even wider, "Here on your lunch break love?"

Nicoles dimple appeared at the pet name before she spoke, "Actually, Nedley let me go with just a half shift today, so I'm all yours till Monday morning now, you got me all weekend baby," Waverly squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down on the spot before she leaned forward and pecked Nicole on the cheek. Before Waverly could speak they heard a snort from down the bar. Nicole looked down for its source and scowled when she saw Champ, leaning on the bar and watching them.

Waverly squeezed Nicoles hands, drawing her attention back to her and causing her smile to reappear. Waverly smiled apologetically before she let go of Nicoles hands and reached under the bar, pulling up one of the special bottles of the import beer Nicole loved so much from the fridge she kept there for them. She popped the top off and slipped it into Nicoles hands, one hand staying on the bottle on top of Nicoles as she did so. She was about to speak again, trying to move away from Champ when the stench of his cologne filled the air around them.

"Hey Waves," Champ said, voice sickly sweet again as he purposefully ignored Nicole,"You remind me of an overdue book cause you got FINE written all over you," Waverly rolled her eyes and Nicole glared as Champ leant further into their shared space.

She tried to elbow him away but he wouldn't budge so she shuffled down a stool and took Waverly with her via their joined hands.

"So what do you wanna do tonight babe?" Waverly asked, doing her best to ignore Champ and keep Nicole from turning and hitting him.

Nicole turned her attention back to Waverly again, smiling despite the annoyance evident lingering on her face, "Whatever you want love, maybe we could do a date night at the homestead-"

"Yknow Wave, your body is like 30% water and I'm gettin' really thirsty over here." He had the audacity to wink, cutting Nicole off mid sentence and making her start to get mad all over again.

"Champ, shut up, I'm in a relationship with Nicole, you know that," Waverly said, finally turning to him to try and shut him up, "And besides, the human body is made up of at least 60% water," Waverly said dryly and Nicole chuckled at her nerdy girlfriend. Of course Waverly would know something as random as the percent of water in a body, it was one of the many things that made her love Waverly so much.

"Well, lets talk about how we can get you out of that then babe," He smiled sleazily. Waverly scoffed in disgust and Nicole turned, hitting him with such a piercing glare that he shrunk in his seat.

Waverly turned back to Nicole, lifting up her hand to take a sip from her beer and smiling when Nicoles head snapped back to her with an open mouth and shocked look on her face. The shock morphed into a playful smile as she took a sip from the bottle herself and leant forward, nosing at Waverlys cheek to encourage her to kiss her.

Waverly took the initiative and leant forwards, placing her lips against Nicoles, smiling against them when she felt Nicoles mouth morph into a grin as well. She tasted like the beer they'd just shared and it was wildly intoxicating to her. Waverly pulled back, eyes remaining closed. When she opened them she found Nicole watching her with a dimpled grin on her face and couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey Wave you know how you like math and all that smart shit?" They heard from Champ a seat down the bar who was sliding over yet again. Nicole had to fight the urge to grind her teeth and not outright punch him, "Why don't add to you my life, subtract your clothes, divide your legs and multiply ourselves huh?" Waverlys mouth dropped open in shock at the utter crudeness of the line, in front of her and her girlfriend no less.

Nicole, finally having had enough turned and pulled her hands from Waverlys grasp and the bottle. Her hands balled up into fists she approached Champ, who, having rapidly realized his mistake, was backing away quickly, bottle of cheap beer in his hand spilling as he did so.

"I think Champ," Nicole spat his name like it was poison in her mouth, "Its about time you left me and my girlfriend alone and that you particularly stopped bothering Waverly on her own with shitty pick up lines like you used to do." Champs eyes widened at the implication that Nicole knew how he had treated her, "Thats right, I know. No you better leave her the hell alone you little shit." Nicole finished, looming over him threateningly before turning to go sit in front of her girlfriend. Before she could make it two steps she saw Waverlys eyes go wide as she felt a weak punch knock against the back of her head.

Stopping dead in her tracks Nicole spun around, eyes raging with a barely contained fury and Champ knew then that he had really fucked up. Nicole advanced on Champ again, tightly curled fist rising up and decking him square in the face and watching with satisfaction as he dropped to the floor like a bag of rocks. A hand came up to his eye, holding what would now be a swollen and bruised area and Nicole crouched down, hitting him him again but this time on the nose, again satisfying as she heard a crunching sound and saw blood trickle out from his nostrils. He whined in dismay and she hit him again and again, on the stomach, the arm, the shoulder and finally, once more in the face before she pulled away, puffing out angry breaths from her nose.

"You EVER try that shit again Hardy and you'll be thrown in holding for assaulting an officer." Nicole spat, turning on her heel and sauntering back to the bar across from Waverly who was stood with her mouth agape. Nicole slipped into the stool and grabbed her beer again, sipping from it like nothing had happened. She glanced at Waverly who's breathing was labored and eyes were wide.

Nicole smirked. She knew that look, the wide dark eyes and dilated pupils combined with the labored breathing. Waverly was turned on. Nicole sipped from her beer again, eyes directly locked with Waverlys as she did so.

Waverly leant forward and pulled the bottle from Nicoles hands, discarding it to one side as she pressed a heated kiss to her girlfriends lips. Nicole responded in kind, moving against Waverly like it was the most natural thing in the world, which at this point, it basically was until they heard Gus clear her throat and tell them to knock it off. They pulled back, Nicole grinning sheepishly in apology.

"That," Waverly puffed out, leaning forward till she was right next to Nicoles ear, "Was really hot," She finished, nibbling gently on her earlobe before pulling back and smirking at the beginnings of lust forming in Nicoles eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Nicole drawled out in reply, smirk ever present on her face.

"Hell yeah baby," Waverly grinned, hand coming up to skim at Nicoles jaw teasingly, thumb skirting across her bottom lip before she dropped her hand altogether. Nicole caught her hand as it fell and squeezed it tightly, eyes sparkling with mischief. Behind them, Nicole heard Champ finally scuttle out of the bar behind them and smirked, rolling her eyes before she quickly hopped up from her stool and moved to the door, leaving Waverly behind in a shocked gust of wind.

Nicole stepped out the door and immediately spotted Champ heading towards his truck, one hand grasping at his broken nose.

"You better not be about to drive after spending all day at the bar Hardy," Nicole yelled in her officer voice, standing tall so as to intimidate him from across the street. Champ startled and dropped his keys, shrinking into himself again as Nicole strode across the empty street to stand across from him.

"Your lucky all I did was break your nose today Champ," She said and smirked as he nodded. She was vaguely aware of Waverly coming out of the bars doors and watching from across the street again, probably to make sure Champ didn't try anything dumb, "Now you listen here shit-head. Don't you ever, ever come into Shorty's again while my Waverly is on shift, you here me? Or I will come down here and put you in cuffs myself. And trust me, I have ways of knowing when your in there boy." Nicole said assertively, waiting for his fearful nod of acknowledgement. Once she received it she continued talking, "Next time I see you, you better turn and walk the other way cause I don't have the kind heart Waverly has and I will fucking destroy you for what you did to her, I swear." Champ nodded again, scurrying away when Nicole turned around and sauntered back across the street.

Waverly, who had been leaning against the bar door frame the whole time, shook her head with a smile at the possessive display from her girlfriend. If it had been anyone else, Waverly would have been annoyed, but it was Nicole who was being possessive of her for all the right reasons and she couldn't help the warmth that spread through her chest and the jolt of electricity that shot through her, settling between her legs as a rush of heat.

Once Nicole was across the street she wrapped Waverly up in her arms and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She pulled back, cocky smirk on her face as she took in Waverlys flushed cheeks.

"So, Hot huh?" Nicole asked, cheeky grin plastered on her face. Waverly nodded, eyes half lidded as she wrapped her arms loosely around Nicoles neck.

"I think I've figured out what we're gonna do for the rest of the night… and weekend now babe," Waverly grinned, eyes sparking with just as much mischief as Nicoles, "Just give me a minute to go get the weekend off from Gus," Waverly said, slipping from Nicoles arms as she rushed inside and left Nicole waiting on the side walk in front of her cruiser. She moved to lean on the door while Waverly spoke to Gus and contemplated quietly to herself for a few minutes.

Champ definitely wouldn't be coming near Waverly again any time soon she mused, smirking as she did so. But she had to admit that the response she had managed to garner from Waverly for finally beating Champ down made her wish she had done it sooner. She shook her head, watching as Waverly emerged from the doors again and rushed over, pinning her against the cruiser as she planted a firm kiss on her lips, a promise of what was going to fill their weekend ever present.

"Lets go home now baby," Waverly whispered, pulling away and slipping into the cruiser. Yeah, Nicole definitely couldn't seem to find much reason to complain about the way that whole event had turned out as she turned and slipped into her cruiser, starting the engine up and turning her lights and siren on to get home faster, Nicole gunned the engine. Tires squealing at the effort of catching up to the sudden burst of speed, she smiled widely as Waverly threw her head back in a full bodied laugh and a hand came to rest on Nicoles thigh. They were gonna have a fun weekend for sure.

* * *

 **AN: So, this was the longest fic I've ever written and I hope it was good and y'all enjoyed it! Obviously criticism is welcome and appreciated!**


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